Kitchen knives for newlywed couple?

G

Gwinnydapooh

Joined
Jan 20, 1999
Messages
641
Hey y'all. The wedding plans proceed apace. Awhile ago we started registering for gifts but, of course, no way was I registering for those crappy kitchen knives from Target.
So that begs the question: who makes really great kitchen knives?
I've heard Spydercos are great and I already love and trust the company.
Doesn't Cold Steel have a line too?
How about Henckels (sp?) or others?
My parents say my grandparents love to give people kitchen knives and they use CUTCO! If I have to buy my own knives to avoid this it'll be ok with me (can't tell gram and grandpa I don't want them to get us knives because their knives are crap . . .)

Thanks!


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"It is not criminals who enter schools and shoot children . . ."
--Ann Pearston, British gun control apologist and Moron
 
Hi, my wife and I got a set of top of the line Henckels a few years ago, in my wifes opinion, they are overpriced, and only average quality. Edge holding is not that great, although they are easy to touch up on a steel or the Spydee sharpener. She has started using my Griffith Tracker in the kitchen, which is a pain because I have to wash it real good after Im done using for the day so its safe to use on food. I have a friend that has a couple of Spyderco kitchen knives, and he loves them. He says they are much better than his Wustoff(sp?). I would say if you can find a Spyderco, get them.

Richard
 
When we registered about two years ago, it went something like this:

Future mother-in-law: "Are you guys going to register for some new kitchen knives?

Fiance: "That's Don's job, he knows more about that stuff than I do, besides, he'll use them more and take better care of them than I would."

Future mother-in-law: "Well, what was he thinking about?"

Fiance: "He's been thinking Wusthof Trident, the Classic models."

Future father-in-law: "Good choice, we still have some that we got when we were married."

It's great when your future father-in-law agree with your choices. He likes guns and rockets and watching those "Demolition and Explosion" shows on TLC, too, he's a great guy, and more fun than you would think a father-in-law could be.

Obviously, then I'd have to say that Wusthofs are also a great choice.

All the best to you with the upcoming nuptuals.

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
 
I've never used Spyderco kitchen knives, but they are Spyderco knives, so how can you go wrong?

The top of the line Henkels may be overpriced, but I've got a lower echelon Henkels carving knife that takes and holds a scary sharp edge. After the last time I sharpened it, I went to wash the knife; thought I'd laid it down flat on the soapy sponge. Must of been wrong, because I came within about an eighth of an inch of slicing through the sponge and into my hand.

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Dave

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives
 
Victorinox and Forshner offer decent kitchen knives in a variety of patterns and prices. I have some inexpensive Victorinox parers and a professional Forshner steaking knife. They all take and hold their edge well if you keep them steeled. Chicago cutlery are popular, but I don't like them as well as the Forshners.



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Travis Autry
My knives are just like rabbits---they keep multiplying!!
 
Hello: I had the opposite experience of Richard. We have Henckels and they have served us very well. Additionally, they are tastful and will last the couple.

Doug
 
Hey Don..Henckels makes a pretty good knife, but so does Burgvogel, they're just not as well known, but the prices are about the same. However; the Burgvogels feel better and are a little heavier made and hold a hell of an edge.

Jake
 
I've got a spyderco military that performs 95% of my kitchen related knife duties.I am also a bachelor with a microwave oven that performs 95% of my kitchen related cooking duties.You would no doubt want a larger selection with a dressier finish but it is hard to fault spydercos'quality and utility.
 
What price range are you shopping in? That is the biggest factor on where the value and quality lie.

The newer Henkels are not as good as the ones in the past. I have heard a lot of feedback indicating the "new" process used in the steel has made them more brittle. I have a couple of the Henkels line made from a single piece of steel that serve me well.

For a complete block set, Wustoff is worth a look.

The knife I use the most is a T H Rinaldi TTKK (basically a 5 1/2 chef's knife) in BG-42 that is stellar in the kitchen. I think current cost runs about $155.

Lately, I have been looking at http://www.sword-cane.com/knives_page2.html which is L & H Knife Works (aka Doc Gundersen). These are 3/32 0-1 or 440C and run in the $55 to $90 range.

Chicago Cutlery block sets are pretty common as well and, if you don't know better, are good knives. I haven't cut with one of my Chicago Cutlery knives since the T H Rinaldi TTKK has been in my possesion. Check it out at http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/ttkk.htm

Finally, let me say that 1 or 2 or 3 high end pieces will serve you much better then a Block set of 9 lesser knives. An 8 inch Chef's knife and a 4 inch parer to start will serve you well. A Henkel's Pro-S Chinese Cleaver ($50 retail) would round out any set nicely without breaking the bank.

Stay Sharp,
Sid
 
If you want custom knives Idefinitely check George Tichbourne's knives, they are beautiful.

For a special gift in a production set check out the Hattori knives. The blades are damascus with VG-10 center steel and Pakkawood handles. Joe Talmadge tested them and commented that it was the only kinfe his Mother-in-Law missed from the kitchen. They are available from James Mattis at www.chaicutlery.com

Tom
 
Also check out Grohmann's kitchen line, they make four different versions, falling into categories from inexpensive to more so. Nice stuff.

Tom
 
Jake, yes, there are a number of great knives on the market, but I simply happen to prefer the Wusthofs, it just kinda "felt" better, and I guess I liked the lines a bit better, so we went with them. It's always easy to ask for something as gifts, since we weren't paying for them, but the choice actually was between the Henckels and Wusthofs. But Burgvogels? You got me on that one, I'll have to look into it. We have a few spaces left in our cutting block that need to be filled.

And, as Sid mentioned, I also have a BG-42 Rinaldi TKK (pre-TTKK) that my wife and I love for general prep work, it's a great little knife, great balance, workmanship, and materials, we use it for just about everything. I also found out the hard way, after it disappeared one evening, that it's completely and perfectly dishwasher safe (YIKES!
eek.gif
). Suffice it to say I politely asked my wife not to put it in the dishwasher anymore, that I would take care of it myself. LOL! Check out Trace's stuff if you want a nice general using kitchen piece. He really does a nice job.

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

[This message has been edited by DonL (edited 02-05-2000).]
 
Gramp's Cutco suggestion isn't a bad one. They are very efficient cutters, ergonomically pleasing, and I think the factory will resharpen them forever.

In our house, we use knives from Warther Cutlery in Dover, Ohio. Not fancy, but very good steel, take lots of abuse, and are not real expensive. The founder of Warther was arguably the best woodcarver ever. His work is in lots of museums around the world, and the knife business began when he couldn't buy knives to satisfy him. We have Henckels (the forged ones), I like the Warthers better.

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Jerry Hossom
knifemaker
www.hossom.com


 
I'll vouch for George Tichbourne's kitchen knives..his K6 chef's knife has virtually replaced all of my other kitchen cutlery. These are knives that you will use every day...you really should treat yourselves to the benefits of a handmade knife in the kitchen. I've tried Wusthof, Henckel, Sabatier and the other "high-end" production brands; none of them exhibit the quality and balance of my Tichbourne knives. They are truly a pleasure to use and I'm sure that they will continue to be heirlooms for many years...
 
Super-sharp, best price-performance ratio, ugly, provide your own gift box - Spyderco.

Super-sharp, priced to say you care, a long long way from ugly, nicely packaged - Hattori.

Also look at Kershaw's new all-stainless Bonvivant line. AUS6M (versus German mystery steel), pretty, pretty slippery, nicely packaged for giving away. Another incomplete section of my web page!
redface.gif



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Look into the Global line of knives, they are wonderful!! That is what I got, I love 'em.

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Tis better to be the hunter......than the hunted
 
Don't forget to register for a great carving set and some nice steak knives too. Some people just get the carving set and steak knives that match their formal service, but I like to point out that only in the most formal of table service (State Dinner type stuff) are the steak knives and carving tools expected to match the rest of the service. In fact, I think it adds a nice touch to a table when the carving set is different and particularly nice itself. It's not called a carving _set_ for no reason. It is a set unto itself and it can stand on its own. Likewise, great steak knives that compliment the rest of your service are a nice touch.

So, go ahead and register for a Mad Dog ATAK as a carving knife, a dozen Benchmade Model 42s as steak knives, and a dozen Microtech Halos as canape' spreaders
wink.gif




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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick
 
We have a set of 4 star Henckels that has served us well for 12 or so years now, which we bought on a half price sale. I wouldn't want to pay full retail at the typical department store prices where such stuff is registered for weddings, but if you don't get a decent set to start with it'll often be hard to justify getting one later. If you get them on sale and are selective in what you get they end up being a good deal. We also have a few of the $4 or so Victorinox paring knives that get a lot of use, and one Cutco spatula with a serrated edge that also seems to get used often. But, I'm not too picky about having state-of-the-art steel and heat treating in kitchen knives as being able to easily touch up an edge seems to be more important than attempts at superb edge holding, considering the abuse that such knives get when relatives, company, and kids use the knives. Besides, geometry seems to make a bigger difference than steel in the kitchen, as per my tests the thin, $4 Victorinox paring knives cut vegetables better than a thicker short USMC Kabar or a Dozier, in spite of the latter two being sharper and having better edge holding. A crock stick in the kitchen seems to work well, and some sort of effective sharpening tool will be just as important as what knives to get.
 
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